16:8 Intermittent Fasting for Newcomers
Sick of complex diets that involve every calorie being counted? Your solution may be in the form of the 16:8 intermittent fasting regimen. The easy eating pattern has been successful in making millions shed pounds of weight, gain more pep in their steps and get healthy without sacrificing the taste of the food they enjoy.
What is 16:8 Intermittent
The 16:8 intermittent fasting method is surprisingly simple.
You fast for 16 hours and eat all your meals within an 8-hour window. That's
it. No special foods, no complicated rules, no expensive supplements.
Suppose you had dinner at 8PM. You wouldn't eat again until
the following day at 12PM. Your eating window would originate from 12PM until
8PM. While under the fasting phase of 16 hours, you could ingest the fluids of
water, black coffee, or unflavored tea.
How Does 16:8
Intermittent Fasting Work for Weight Loss?
When you fast for 16 hours, some strong things take place in
your body:
Fat Burning Mode:
After roughly 12 hours of not eating, your body begins to burn stored fat for
fuel instead of using glucose from food. That is a condition of ketosis, and it
is the natural fat-burning state of the body.
Fewer Calories Eaten:
With only 8 hours in the day to eat, everyone automatically eats fewer
calories. You're actually skipping a meal that is likely to reduce the calories
by 300-500 per day.
Improved Insulin
Sensitivity: The fasts decrease your insulin levels giving you the
opportunity to burn away stored fat and utilize it more efficiently.
Increased Growth
Hormone: Fasting can increase growth hormone production by up to 5 times,
which helps preserve muscle mass while burning fat.
Benefits of 16:8
Intermitt
Besides reducing pounds, studies prove 16:8 intermittent
fasting has many health advantages:
Weight Loss: The
majority of individuals will shed 1-2 pounds a week without making dietary
changes, only dietary timing changes.
Better Blood Sugar
Control: Fasting helps the body control sugar and may forestall type 2
diabetes in certain individuals.
Higher Energy:
Individuals frequently feel higher levels of energy and more mental acuity
during the fast period.
Improved Heart Health:
Studies show alternate fasts reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammatory
markers.
Simplified Eating:
No more breakfast planning and mid-morning snacks. Your day is simplified.
Better Sleep:
Sleep is better for most people when they're not eating late at night.
How to Start with
16:8 Intermittent Fasting
Initiating intermittent fasting is not necessarily complicated.
Simply do the following steps:
Week 1: Ease into It
Start with a 12:12 cycle (12-hour fasts and 12-hour eating).
If you are a regular breakfast eater at 8 AM, you would stop eating at 8 PM.
Your body adapts increasingly with the gradual changes.
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Week 2: Extend to
14:10
Postpone the first meal by one hour. You're now eating
between 9 AM and 7 PM with a fast of 14 hours.
Week 3: Reach 16:8
Continue through the entire 16:8 regimen. Most people choose
the period of 12 PM to 8 PM but choose a time that is appropriate for the
lifestyle.
Set Your Clocks
Popular eating windows include:
12 PM until 8 PM
(skip breakfast)
1 PM to 9 PM (ideal
for night owls)
11 AM to 7 PM (early
dinner)
10 AM to 6 PM (early
bird special)
What Can You Drink
While You're Fasting?
During your 16-hour fast, stick to these zero-calorie
drinks:
Water (with lemon or
cucumber for flavor)
Black coffee (no
cream or sugar or sweetener)
Plain tea
Do not eat anything that contains calories, including artificially
sweetened, because they may stimulate hunger and possibly break your fast.
Conclusion
16:8 intermittent fasting is that simple you eat for 8 hours and fast for 16 hours. That is it. You do not need to purchase special food or keep track of calories. You do not need to abandon you favorite dishes. You only need to vary when you eat and not necessarily what you eat.
People lose weight because they naturally eat less when they have fewer eating hours. Besides that, the body gets more efficient at using fat when fasting is observed.
Will it work on everybody? No. But it does work on a lot of people because it is easy to do. You can still go to dinner with friends. You can still eat the foods that you like.
Begin slowly. Maybe you can start with 12 and progress to a higher level of 16. Do not do it too quickly. Your body has to adjust itself to this new eating method.
If you feel bad or it doesn't feel right, stop. Listen to your body. There are many ways to lose weight and be healthy.
But for something simple that does not entail radical changes in lifestyle, you may give a try to the 16:8 intermittent fasting regimen. Experiment with it for a few weeks and see the way you feel.
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